Pages

Monday, March 14, 2011

i try scuba diving

No, not my most glamorous moment. This was something I have wanted to do for a while. My brother and I tackled it together. Simon (from Mindarie Dive Academy) was our instructor. He was a hilarious Englishman. He talked at a million miles an hour and laughed louder than anyone I've ever met. There were two other blokes in our group: Tony and Barry. If you wanted the perfect example of a classic aussie block these two would be perfect. They were genuine and friendly, and happy to take the piss out of each other. Good value.

Some people I mentioned diving to said it made them feel chlaustrophobic. For me it is the opposite. You are surrounded by an endless blue that goes forever and ever. There is something very magical and humbling about the ocean.

However, due to bad weather our first dive was in the river. The visibilty was 1.5m at the most. It was gross. Luckily, our instructor was just as keen to get all our skills done as quick as possible. Memo to self: never, EVER dive in the river...unless you are looking for a watch.

Our second dive was in the ocean near Burns Rocks. It was a beautiful day. The visibility still wasn't amazing but it was definitely better than the river. After our second dive we sat on the boat waiting for other divers to resurface. When they did they brought some seals with them. Simon and I popped on fins and snorkels and jumped in. Swimming with seals is something everyone should do. They love to play and copy you. If you somersault, they will somersault. If you dive down, they will dive down. If you sit still and watch them, they will get bored and swim away.

But, if you launch yourself out of the water, they will do it too. Or maybe I just have an undiscovered gift. I knew I had to have a talent somewhere, lying dorment all these years. And here it is. Miranda McCurry: seal impersonator extraordinaire. Magic.